MCF in cattle

[Hummin-Cummins]

Got a poorly cow (one of my favourite and best cows) and the vet thinks it’s possibly MCF. Prognosis doesn’t sound good if it is. Anyone ever had a case? Sounds like its very uncommon,

TIA
H-C

 

[Blue.]

Had a couple,neither lived.

 

[Devon Gurfallo]

Had one a couple of years ago. It died. Horrible disease, wished I had her shot sooner.

 

[jackstor]

Got a poorly cow (one of my favourite and best cows) and the vet thinks it’s possibly MCF. Prognosis doesn’t sound good if it is. Anyone ever had a case? Sounds like its very uncommon,

TIA
H-C

Had 4 or 5, one survived, vet said 99% die. Glazed eyes and crusty nose?

 

[Hummin-Cummins]

Had 4 or 5, one survived, vet said 99% die. Glazed eyes and crusty nose?

Not quite that far yet but eyes look sore and running nose is runny with yellow discharge, high temp of 41 degrees and sh looks really unhappy

 

[Jonny_2]

Had one a couple of years ago, didn’t end well

 

[Cowlife]

Seen one at a place I worked few years back. My only advice would be put her out of her misery sooner rather than later.
Carried by goats if I remember correctly.

 

[Pan mixer]

I had one, tried to help it and it lurched against the electric and had a heart attack.

Next time I will shoot I think, sad as that would be.

Carried by sheep apparently, all my cow fields are always grazed by sheep at some point in the year.

Having said that grazed a hundred plus cattle every year and only had that one case touch wood.

 

[gone up the hill]

Got a poorly cow (one of my favourite and best cows) and the vet thinks it’s possibly MCF. Prognosis doesn’t sound good if it is. Anyone ever had a case? Sounds like its very uncommon,

TIA
H-C

Had one last year,

They will not live sadly, no treatment for it, best thing you can do is get the knackerman out today and put her down.

Carried by in lamb ewes but does not affect sheep just cattle, very rare thou seems to be more cases getting around now for some reason.

 

[delilah]

We had one, group of heifers sharing a barn with in lamb ewes, put down , was a real worry that more would go the same way but was just the one. Odd thing was, some weeks before that she was found upside down in the water trough, could only have got there by being bullied, call it fanciful but I reckon they knew she wasn't right.

 

[gone up the hill]

We had one, group of heifers sharing a barn with in lamb ewes, put down , was a real worry that more would go the same way but was just the one. Odd thing was, some weeks before that she was found upside down in the water trough, could only have got there by being bullied, call it fanciful but I reckon they knew she wasn't right.

Yes i think it has a long incubation period after they are infected before they will show they have it, i think its something like 200 days from memory untill you can be sure the rest of the cattle are clear of it!

In rare cases it can affect 50/60% of cattle exposed to it.

 

[penntor]

I had an outbreak in 2005. Rough weather so put some due to lamb ewes in spare space in a cattle shed. Of the 20 cattle in the shed 10 died of MCF, apparently lambing ewes shed a lot of the virus. Also lost 3 cows ( wintered out) at the same time. Sheep carry the virus with no bad effects but cattle are the terminal host and most die.
It is fairly rare, in fact my vet practice at the time were bringing vet students with them when I called them out so they could see it.
The really weird thing about MCF in cattle is their eyes go cloudy from the bottom of the eye up, almost like filling a glass with milk. IIRC the incubation period is 27 days so the longer you go without a case the better and if you get to over 27 days you should be out of the woods.
Even the knacker man felt sorry for me.

 

[Blue.]

When we had our 1st one I was told it was spread by deer (some 15 years ago),2nd one (two years ago) vet said spread by sheep.

 

[Oscar]

Sorry to ask but what is MCF ??

 

[penntor]

Malignant Catarrhal Fever.

 

[Oscar]

That's a new one for me !!! But thanks!

 

[AftonShepherd]

Can cows pass it to each other? I've got a cow possibly showing symptoms just now although she seems well enough in herself other than yucky nose and eyes. Due to calf shortly - should I be isolating her? Or any damage done already?

Can't think the cows have been anywhere near pregnant ewes at any time but ...

 

[penntor]

No, as far as I am aware transmission is from sheep to cow and not cow to cow.